(no subject)

[redbrunja]

Okay, enderxenocide arrives tomorrow, and as I wanted to be caught up so we could chat, I mainlined the end of naruto, all 100+ chapters of it.

Gai carrying Kakashi back to Konoha was adorable, as was Lee wanting Neji to get on his back. I was lol-ing out of my chair.

Also, can someone explain whey Naruto thought that Shino had a weird speech pattern? Is that something that really didn't come across in my translation?

Also, Sasuke: jerk. First he's all petulant and bitchy to Sai (who had a nice, subtle verbal smack down) and then he's... even more of an ass to Naruto.

When Sakura saw Sasuke for the first time... wow she's pretty. I can't believe Sasuke left a girl like her behind.

Also, Yamato getting in Sakura's way when she tried to take down Sasuke: FUCK YOU, POTATO HEAD.

"You know... crying isn't going to bring Sasuke back. I'm here, too! We'll grow stronger together!"

Awww, Sakura. I love that shot of her crying in the forground and Naruto crying in the background.

Oh, man, Sakura beating both Naruto and Sai up after Sai calls her 'ugly dog'? *dies* And her avoiding telling Kakashi about it? *snort*

Yaguita is awesome. I wonder how long until she bites it?

Asuma coming to Kakashi for romantic advice (I presume?) win.

And nice repeat of the 'I want to know now.'

...Not even one chapter and Yaguita is down for the count! Wow, is anyone else so surprised?

...Woah, wait, Asuma is related to the third Hokage? Than is that kid who worships Naruto his?

Damn it Kakashi, don't stop explaining jutsus just when you get to the part I want to know about medical ninjitsuses and genjutsus! Geez!

And now, another excutatingly long training sequence that could have been done in three panels.

Damn it, Kisishimoto, I'm not a tight scheduel here.

Kakashi: "Don't worry. I have a way with words, so I'll get you in the mood no problem."

Can anyone else say out of context theatre? And even in-context, my head went to such a dirty place.

... and what does kouhai mean and why does Kakashi normally not respect them?

NO! NO REVIEW! JUST GET TO THE FRACKING POINT! NO MORE FOREPLAY, KAKASHI!

Okay, those guys who kill Asuma? Totally bad ass. I love it.

On Asuma's death: WAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLL!!!

Oh, god, seeing team 10 become formed, and the earrings as a congradulatory gift? *wibble* I love Shikamaru picking up his sensei's smokes - that's a lovely touch. It's always nice when he seems to have a soul.

Dear Naruto and Kakashi: Yes, I got the reasoning behind the clones and the looking both left and right four pages ago! There is NO need to explain.

NOOOO, Yamato! No more diagrams!!! Noo!!!

Okay, when Kakashi's clothes get ripped away from that attack? Awesomecakes. I love the shot of his gloves dissolving.

So Ino's now in Sakura's role: doing nothing.

Everything with Shikamaru and his sensei and that fight was awesome. Except Ino not doing anything. That sucked.

HA! Go cockblocking Sai! And I'm actually thinking Sakura/Naruto wouldn't be entirely terrible at this point. She's certainly treating him sweet.

...and then Kakashi continues the cockblocking. It's like both my pairings are working in harmony!

"Before us, the greatest genius in the world comes off as average."

Whatever, Sasuke. Don't let you head explode under the pressure of your ego.

Surprising no one, Sakura is a slash fan. Don't worry, cherry blossom, we still love you any way.

Karin: adore her character design, but seriously, Sasuke - this is the girl you ditch Sakura for? So far she seems like cherry blossom redux, only without any of the cool punching people and never giving up.

I hate that stupid bow Sasuke is wearing. What is wrong with a nice simple scabbard to sheath your phallic compensation?

Okay, was Kimimaro the guy under the sheet or the guy who Orchimaru jumped into, and if so, how does that count as dying for Sasuke's sake? I mean, sure it meant that Sasuke didn't have to die, but Sasuke was too far away for the transfer to work anyway. *nitpicks*

I love the members of the Capture Itachi team.

Watching Karin and Sakura walk past each other was heartbreaking, and I'm not totally sure why. I think because Sakura was both so close to her goal and so far away.

To repeat a comment I said the enderxenocide, I love how both Sakura and Naruto are in exactly that same emotional place with Sasuke: sure, they're both insanely obsessed with him, but on Sakura's part, I really get the feeling that that... romantic emotions involved have faded away. And there are times when she's with Naruto and seeing how focused on Sasuke that you get the feeling she... has more perspective on this whole situation than anyone else.

God, Sasuke is ugly at curse level two.

Am confused abut new Ataksuki members: the girl, guy, and the masked on who seems to also have a Sharigan.

"Because he's like a brother to me... and I'm a better brother than you ever were!"

Fair point, Naruto, but it would actually be hard to be a worse brother.

I am so surprised that Tsunade doesn't punch Jiraya with all the remarks he's making about her boobs, even if he's being sweet in his pervert way.

And he's so in love with her it's... wonderfully sweet. I mean, talk about being crazy about someone when you're bitter that you won't get as many tears as her dead lover.

Ooooh, so Jiraya's student's turned evil? I bet Kakashi is glad to know he's isn't the only one who fucks up in that regard.

Oh, *wibble* tragic backstory.

I like how the 4th tried to foist the kids off on Tsunade, and she was like, 'hell with that!' and Jiraya got them.

Blah, blah, fighy, fight.

You have to come back now, Jiraiya! Tsunade is TOTALLY going to throw you a bone if you do!

Oh my god Jiraiya! With... the traveling, and the book writing and the stubborness and.... the 4th named his son after your main character! *wibbles*

AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHH!

YOU CAN'T KILL HIM NOW THAT I'VE JUST STARTED LIKING HIM AND TOTALLY SHIPPING HIM WITH THE HOKAGE!

Sasuke versus Itachi?

I can see why this fight took 385 chapters.

And I'm liking Itachi just because he's such a bastard.

...okay, boys, now one of you just die. Any one, I'm not particular. This fight feels like it's been going on since the last ice age, and I'm fucking sick of the annoying tree-narrator.

....I'm sure the ending of the fight would have been dramatic and shocking had I note had it described to me in blow-by-blow detail.

Sasuke's language has so gone into the gutter.

Oh, sweet god, this retcon is horrific. I mean, I can buy caring about Sasuke, but this? No, sweetie, no.

There is something called 'middle ground' between 'emotionally, cruel, sadistic killer' and 'loving, jesus-like savoir'.

Tobi, you dick, you wanted to start endless war again because you weren't top dog anymore. No shit, your followed decided to betray you. You get zero sympathy from me.

"The trauma made him a peaceful man who hated conflict."

Oh my fucking god you expect me to believe that?

Killed. His. Whole. Clan. I don't care about his reason, you do that, there is something seriously fucked in you, and I refuse to believe that a massacre was the only way to protect Konoha.

"He was unable to kill his own brother."

Now that I can believe. But this whole Itachi-killer-jesus thing is bollocks.

Oh, Sasuke. Bad move. Bad, bad move. You're dancing like a fucking puppet.

No, Naruto, don't make Iruka sad! You only have so many father figures!

Oh, Tsunade, you poor girl. God, can you imagine what it must be like to be the last one alive?

Comments

[demonschild.livejournal.com]

Kouhai, if I'm remembering correctly, is the members of the group younger/less experienced than you, sort of the opposite of senpai. Which is probably why Kakashi mostly doesn't respect them.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Okay, thank you.

...and low blow, Kakashi, low blow.

[solace-adrift.livejournal.com]

Long comment to match long post. Sorry.

-I think that’s why people love Gai and Lee so much; they’re lulz incarnate.

-One thing that always surprised me about Sai is that his social awkwardness is actually funny. In a lot of series the write seems to always bungle it up, but here Kishimoto plays it just right.

-I wholeheartedly agree with Asuma’s death and team 10. They really don’t get enough love.

To be fair, Chouji spends that entire fighting being as equally useless as Ino. Ino gets to find where Hidan and Kakuza are, and Chouji gets to use one jutsu. Lame. I really never understood why Kishimoto never just took five pages out to show them taking out one of Kakuza’s ghosts, that way it wouldn’t have totally changed the direction of the battle, but still shone that they could do something.

-Ah, but Karin actually have a talent Sasuke needs. So he’ll tolerate her lusting. For now…

-Two different people.

-I have an usual hearting of Suigetsu for some reason. Maybe it’s the creepy teeth, or that he’s sorta one of the seven swordsman, or maybe just my general liking of psychopaths

-Sakura’s emotional state and growth in part two I always thought were very well done on Kishimoto’s part. It’s subtle, but I know what you mean about her no longer being after Sasuke In That Way.

-I have a feeling Tsunade at this point knows it wouldn’t make him stop. I mean, they’ve been on the same team for like twenty years.

-I, personally, have immense hearting for all the younger sannin. I wish there could be an entire spinoff series about them. They’re just so cool.

-Hehe, where Naruto’s name came from. Such an honor.

-Bear in mind it’s Madara saying this, and even if he’s telling the entire truth, he may be casting a light on it to manipulate Sasuke. I mean, even if Madara says that Itachi was jesus, it doesn’t necessarily mean Kishmoto wants us to think that. I personally like to think of Itachi more as a psychopath-jesus.

-While I was rather annoyed by some of the retcons (or really revelations) I love the symbolism and theme Kishimoto is weaving in to much stay mad. It’s just so perfect, and you can see the inevitable wheel beginning to turn. Themes and symbolism are really where Kishimoto shines, and he’s got some good ones here.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I love long comments. If I didn't, I won't write long posts full of things to respond to. ^_^


-I think that’s why people love Gai and Lee so much; they’re lulz incarnate.

Yes, and also, no body is shy about the fact that they think Gai and Lee are crazy, you know they don't care, and it's not like those cases where feel like you're forced to be in on a nasty practical joke you don't want to be.

-One thing that always surprised me about Sai is that his social awkwardness is actually funny. In a lot of series the write seems to always bungle it up, but here Kishimoto plays it just right.

Yes! It so, so is.

-I wholeheartedly agree with Asuma’s death and team 10. They really don’t get enough love.

Team 10 grow on my A LOT as the series progressed. I started not like Shikamaru and having not much opinion on Ino beyond 'hell-oh, lesbian subtext' but now I really like them.

To be fair, Chouji spends that entire fighting being as equally useless as Ino. Ino gets to find where Hidan and Kakuza are, and Chouji gets to use one jutsu. Lame. I really never understood why Kishimoto never just took five pages out to show them taking out one of Kakuza’s ghosts, that way it wouldn’t have totally changed the direction of the battle, but still shone that they could do something.

Except that Chouji actually gets to TRY and use his rolly-polly thing in at least the initial diversion, while Ino is totally cockblocked when she tries to help. But yes, defeating a shadow would have at least given them a chance to not stand around uselessly.

-I have an usual hearting of Suigetsu for some reason. Maybe it’s the creepy teeth, or that he’s sorta one of the seven swordsman, or maybe just my general liking of psychopaths

Well, the shark people ARE kind of adorable.

-Sakura’s emotional state and growth in part two I always thought were very well done on Kishimoto’s part. It’s subtle, but I know what you mean about her no longer being after Sasuke In That Way.

*nods* Now, if we could only give her more chances to totally pwn, that would be awesome.

-I have a feeling Tsunade at this point knows it wouldn’t make him stop. I mean, they’ve been on the same team for like twenty years.

Stop? No. But I'd like the think the prospect of actually getting into her pants would have made him try a little harder to make it home alive, you know?

And now I want to write SO MUCH angsty smut for those two, you won't even believe it.

-Hehe, where Naruto’s name came from. Such an honor.

It's it? I loved how Jiraiya seemed like SUCH an author in that section - that was what made me love him so.

-Bear in mind it’s Madara saying this, and even if he’s telling the entire truth, he may be casting a light on it to manipulate Sasuke. I mean, even if Madara says that Itachi was jesus, it doesn’t necessarily mean Kishmoto wants us to think that. I personally like to think of Itachi more as a psychopath-jesus.

YES! I mean, I can see Itachi taking this excuse, but I cannot believe he wasn't LOOKING for one.

[pikabot]

Yes, and also, no body is shy about the fact that they think Gai and Lee are crazy, you know they don't care, and it's not like those cases where feel like you're forced to be in on a nasty practical joke you don't want to be.

I also like how Gai is...well, Kakashi probably uses him as a dumping ground for Shit I Don't Want To Deal With Right Now. Al he has to do is turn something down and Gai will be there immediately, treating it as a challenge.

ILU, Gai.

[solace-adrift.livejournal.com]

Glad we’re in agreement then.

-And yet, they’re both so genuine. We really feel Lee’s pain and dreams so clearly.

-I actually read a really good fic once that explained it well; there’s nothing particularly great about them singly, but as a team they really mesh.

-Well, yeah, but you know they wouldn’t have been able to even find Hidan or Kakuza if it weren’t for Ino. Jus’ sayin’.

-Unfortunately Kishimoto has built something of a clusterfuck with a lot of his characters. You see this the most with the secondary ones, but it’s beginning to permeate the other main characters, to the point where I’m not really sure Sakura is going to get more than one more fight in the series, and certainly not a main one for awhile (what with the Naruto facing Pein as the next arc). I can’t really blame Kishimoto, because I don’t want him to pad out the story if he doesn’t have to, but it stings.

-Ah, Tsunade and Jirayai. The love that was both dorky and inexplicably compelling, and ultimately, tragic.

-Well, you know, Jirayai takes pride even in his porn.

-Itachi in my mind is quite a morally ambiguous character. I think the truth of his actions lies somewhere between what Madara’s telling Sasuke and what Sasuke initially thought. And even if Itachi was sane to begin with, I tend to think that after the Uchiha massacre he lost some of his grip on his sanity. I mean, killing your entire family has to have a massive physiological toll. Which would actually quite a few of his less logical actions afterwards.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

"-And yet, they’re both so genuine. We really feel Lee’s pain and dreams so clearly."

We really do. That's what makes them so awesome.

"-I actually read a really good fic once that explained it well; there’s nothing particularly great about them singly, but as a team they really mesh."

Well said.

"-Unfortunately Kishimoto has built something of a clusterfuck with a lot of his characters. You see this the most with the secondary ones, but it’s beginning to permeate the other main characters, to the point where I’m not really sure Sakura is going to get more than one more fight in the series, and certainly not a main one for awhile (what with the Naruto facing Pein as the next arc). I can’t really blame Kishimoto, because I don’t want him to pad out the story if he doesn’t have to, but it stings."

Well, my problem with Kishimoto is that I think he doesn't know how to do an ensemble cast. You have Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru (who is the only secondary character who I think is treated appropriately - given a bit of backstory and a chance to shine), and Kakashi, and just about everyone else has an awesome character design, power wise, and some have hints about family, but they all get sidelined. It's so annoying. What is your clusterfuck?

"-Ah, Tsunade and Jirayai. The love that was both dorky and inexplicably compelling, and ultimately, tragic."

Yep.

"-Itachi in my mind is quite a morally ambiguous character. I think the truth of his actions lies somewhere between what Madara’s telling Sasuke and what Sasuke initially thought. And even if Itachi was sane to begin with, I tend to think that after the Uchiha massacre he lost some of his grip on his sanity. I mean, killing your entire family has to have a massive physiological toll. Which would actually quite a few of his less logical actions afterwards."

WORD. But I have the horrible feeling that we're going to be expected to believe that Itachi was on the side of the angels and that... no. I have a feeling even most of the Itcahi fangirls where like: '...ummm, what?' about this.

[solace-adrift.livejournal.com]

-It’s something that happens to a lot of manga (Bleach comes to mind as actually being worse than Naruto right now.) it’s generally all right in the middle after they’ve been introduced (Hinata and Neji during the chunnin arc come to mind as fully fleshed out characters whose issues were able to be explored while still contributing to Naruto and the main storyline) but once their first job is done they just sort of hang around, or if they’re lucky (Shikamaru) can have another go. But generally they just get sidelined, much like what happened with team eight in the last arc; they were physically there, but really had no impact at all.
And, again, it’s not really his fault because Naruto just isn’t an ensemble story and never has been, but its disappointing all the same. (And you’re lucky. Sai is a side character that still has some juice left.)

-I’m actually fairly sure that’s the last we’ll hear of Itachi’s back story. There simply isn’t a point: Sasuke has been turned against Konoha, the problems with Konoha have come to light, and now all that is left is for him and Naruto to face off and Naruto ultimately redeem him so they can both face Madara (though I’m personally hoping that Naruto is forced to kill Sasuke. I think I actually wrote a fic like…)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

And, again, it’s not really his fault because Naruto just isn’t an ensemble story and never has been, but its disappointing all the same. (And you’re lucky. Sai is a side character that still has some juice left.)

Well, it kind of is his fault. I think that if you're going to have a cast this huge (which wasn't forced on him), you have a responsibility to use them. It's kind of the character version of the pistol on the mantle piece. And I really have no sympathy for someone who can string out one fight for five chapters or more, but can't take the little time needed to treat his secondary characters right.

Plus, like you said with team eight, or team ten, if they don't really change anything or aren't needed, why are they there?

(though I’m personally hoping that Naruto is forced to kill Sasuke. I think I actually wrote a fic like…)

I think that's a fantastic idea for fic, but I highly doubt that Kashimoto will go there. Also killing Sasuke would be a good way to stop the cycle....

[solace-adrift.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I’m not honestly not sure, thinking it over, how big the actual cast is vs how big it appears. I mean, do we ever expect those two chunnin that helped take out Hidan and Kakuza to ever show up again? No. But for some odd reason I expect Shino or Tenten, who has about the same role, to show up again and actually do something. I can’t figure it out.

Though with some of the characters (Hinata, Neji, Ino, Lee, a few others) it is nothing but sloppy storytelling. They had large parts and will probably only be given token opponents in the Final Battle. Good point about the fights too. I really wish manga’s didn’t feel a need to do that.

Sadly, thematically, killing Sasuke solves nothing. The cycle is based upon each side attacking in vengeance for those the last attack killed. And that’s really the major conflict of the series; Naruto’s ninja way which is about stopping the violence. If there was another Uchiha around (rather than Madara) it could work, but killing Sasuke is only continuing the cycle.

Also if you’re interested in reading the fic, which I’m not really sure why you would but feel like pimping my fic anyway, can be found here (And because I’m internet retarded and never learned how to link…) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3940315/1/Twin_demons_of_sorrow

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Well, I think we expect Ten Ten and Shino to show up because, frankly, we're trained to think they will. Shino, for example, gets his own fight, and Ten Ten is shown training with Neji and then helping Team 7 rescue Gaara. So these characters are clearly AROUND and the fact that we never find out more... so if they're not important, why are they there in the first place?

Though with some of the characters (Hinata, Neji, Ino, Lee, a few others) it is nothing but sloppy storytelling.

Hell, yeah.

Sadly, thematically, killing Sasuke solves nothing. The cycle is based upon each side attacking in vengeance for those the last attack killed. And that’s really the major conflict of the series; Naruto’s ninja way which is about stopping the violence. If there was another Uchiha around (rather than Madara) it could work, but killing Sasuke is only continuing the cycle.

True. I was thinking of him mirroring Orchimaru, and how neither of the other two Sannin could manage to kill him, but you're right, it doesn't stop the violence.

[solace-adrift.livejournal.com]

Eh, good point.

[tobu-ishi.livejournal.com]

Plus, like you said with team eight, or team ten, if they don't really change anything or aren't needed, why are they there?

Shades of the Gaang Plus at the Western Air Temple. Alas, poor missed opportunities, I fantasized you so well... ;_;

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Exactly! If you don't have anything for them to do, DON'T DRAG THEM ALONG!

...and in the case of the third part of your trumvirate, give them something to do, don't just leave them behind.

[pikabot]

I was counting down the comments until you hit the horrific retcon. It's seriously complete balls.

Also you and I had pretty much the exact same reaction to everything surrounding the Sasuke vs Itachi fight:

1. Wow, Itachi, you're actually sort of cool for once.

2. Holy fuck this fight is taking forever. This is some of the worst pacing I've seen in my life.

3. OK, good he's dead. Revenge plot over now--

4. Wait, what? No. No. No no no no. Don't you fucking do this, Kishimoto. You managed to make Itachi sort of cool for the first time in almost 400 chapters, do not fuck it up now by retconning--

5. FUCK

Also I like how the past month has gone four for four with the unintentional hilarity: First the completely random Hawkle, then the raven blowjob, then Zetsu in an Akatsuki robe, and then the cover of the most recent chapter, which is Sin City-tastic.

Oh, also: Although I can see Sasuke wanting to get revenge on the guys who ordered the killing of his family (and frankly, Danzo's an asshole. If he wants to kill him, he can go right ahead), I cannot concieve of him doing so by joining forces with Madara Uchiha, the guy who actually did the deed with Itachi. WTF?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

It really is. I mean... really. I'm totally fine with some adjusting of Itachi's character of from PURE!EVIL to something else, but golden hero of Konoha? No. I was spoiled for the fact that it was an AWFUL RETCON but it was exactly as bad as I feared.

1. Wow, Itachi, you're actually sort of cool for once.

He was! I actually loved the whole 'our whole family has been fucked for generations,' because it makes a whole lot make so much sense.... or at least it did, for, yanno, two chapters.

First the completely random Hawkle, then the raven blowjob, then Zetsu in an Akatsuki robe, and then the cover of the most recent chapter, which is Sin City-tastic.


I'm confused about everything but the cover. Who is Hawkle, and when did I miss a raven blowjob?

[pikabot]

Random Hawkle. Everyone else is being all solemn and then suddenly, A BIRD.

Bird Blowjob, second panel.

And Zetsu in an Akatsuki robe. It looks like someone stuck it on a stick of celery.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

LOL!

Oh, man. That's.... some really random shit right there.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

So, what IS the big Itachi retcon, anyway?

(I think the only time I mainlined that many manga chapters-all of which are past what I read to-was Bleach last year, and that was to recover from the Ai Yori Aoshi anime.)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Okay, so it turns out that the first Uchiha, who helped found Konoha, is still alive, and tells Sasuke this:

So, back in the day, prior to the founding of Konoha, the Uchiha clan and the clan of the first Hokage were part of the 3d great ninja war, and constantly fighting as rivals. Eventually, everyone got sick of people dying, so we decided to work together and form Konoha. The 1st Hokage was made leader, which I was pissed about. Then it turns out that nobody trusted us, so the Hokage gave us the role of military police, which was really only to make it easy to spy on us.

I told the rest of my clan this, and that we should rebel, but there were like, 'fuck that, we like not having everyone dying because you're not Hokage,'

So I go off and wander, and then in Itachi's generation, it turns out that yes, despite all the real power that the Utachi clan has, they are distrusted, mainly by three very old people, notably NOT the Hokage, who disagree with the concil.

Despite the fact that this problem can be solved by waiting for the three people who are in power and distrust Utachi, we're going to start a bloody revolution and destroy Konoha.

Itachi, however was loyal to Konoha, so on orders and with my help, he killed every single member of his clan and family, except you, and then made sure you'd hate him and kill him, thus returning to Konoha as a hero.

Itachi did everything for you, and Konoha."

And Sasuke swallows this hook, line, and sinker, and then decides to go off and destroy Konoha.

Why did you need to recover from Ai Yori Aoshi?

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Lets just say that it's Ai Yori Aoshi that convinced me that no, I DON'T have to finish every show I start. Sadly, I realized that after finishing it.

Uhm...I've blocked most of it by now, but it's a harem series(I saw it compared a lot to love Hina, the manga of which I'm very fond of) where the heroine literally lives for no reason but to service the hero, and everyone praises her perfection for it. The breaking point for me was when he saved up to buy her an outfit for her birthday, but she bought it and said she bought it for her birthday to wear because the only thing she could ever want is to make him happy, and never needed anything for herself.

It wasn't the "all I want is for you to be happy," it was the "I have no life other than pleasing you!"

I swear, he could have beat her and cheated on her every episode(uhm...he was an absolute darling, but nowhere near enough) and she wouldn't have protested.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*headdesk*

That sounds so. fucking. infuriating.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I spent the whole time going "how could anyone compare the awesometastic goddess Naru to this spineless Stepford who doesn't even realize she COULD think for herself?"

[sureasdawn.livejournal.com]

Holy cow. Are your eyes bleeding like Itachi's after reading that much Naruto?

- That fight where they find Sasuke, and Sakura goes after him. I was so pissed when Yamato got in the way (potato head indeed! XD). It makes me think, personally, that she might have taken him down. I mean, Kishimoto can't have the emo eyeball prince lose to a girl. Kakashi underestimated her during the second bell test, and Sasuke isn't nearly as experienced as Kakashi.

- I have two theories that involve some of the things you mention. One is that some of the fights with secondary characters are cut out almost completely in the manga, but will be played out full-length in the anime (like in the Gaara rescue arc. The Team Gai clone fight was done in it's entirety, but not in the manga) - so I think team 10 may get more love in the anime, and one hopes, Ino. The other is that the more of Kakashi's mask that is missing at the end of a fight, the closer he was to death. It will not come off all the way until he's completely dead.

- I am a Karin X Siugestsu shipper. OMG HATE!SHIP. Sasuke can not have her!

- Anything and everything having to do with Pein, I have already blocked out of my mind other than the fact Jiraiya is dead because of him. Words do not express my loathing for that character. Madara is next on the hate list. WAH! ILU Jiraiya you old pervert! Minato and Kushina were sooo cute. T_T

- WAHHH! Tsunade X Jiraiya = doomed love. And she didn't even give him the necklace! I think they both knew how it was going to turn out but jeez they've known each other for over forty years, one of them could have gotten their heads extracted from their nether regions on time!.

- The whole Itachi retcon was utter shit. I had a nasty feeling it might go this way, ever since the dango scene before the first Itachi fight, but I had hoped otherwise. I'm really hoping Sasuke is just going along with Madara so he can find out what the truth is. I'm hoping Sasuke isn't as stupid as he's being made out to be. honestly Kishimoto, give your readers some credit, even if the target audience is 8-12 year-olds, they're smarter than you think.

I doubt Sasuke is going to completely and utterly destroy Konoha. What's the point if the manga-ka has been so painstakingly keeping him from actually killing anyone - INCLUDING ITACHI WHO WAS ALREADY FUCKING DYING OF A DISEASE AND GAVE HALF HIS POWER TO NARUTO 1000 ISSUES AGO!

All said, I love fanfiction, just because it can make up for certain canon "mistakes". I'm starting to think the manga-ka is on the edge of a complete burnout or has already reached it. He's been working pretty much non-stop on this manga for 10 years.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

"I was so pissed when Yamato got in the way (potato head indeed! XD). It makes me think, personally, that she might have taken him down."

Oh, I know several people who think so. And I as SO sure that Sakura could, at the very least, surprised the HELL out of him. Actually, that scene is the manga when Sakura cracks open the earth around Kakashi is one of my favs.

"- I have two theories that involve some of the things you mention. One is that some of the fights with secondary characters are cut out almost completely in the manga, but will be played out full-length in the anime (like in the Gaara rescue arc. The Team Gai clone fight was done in it's entirety, but not in the manga) - so I think team 10 may get more love in the anime, and one hopes, Ino."

"The other is that the more of Kakashi's mask that is missing at the end of a fight, the closer he was to death. It will not come off all the way until he's completely dead.

That's a neat idea, except that Kakashi's come back from fights more beat up than he did the one where he got bits of his mask blown away. And I almost hope we never see his face in canon, just so we can imagine it to be whatever we want.

"- Anything and everything having to do with Pein, I have already blocked out of my mind other than the fact Jiraiya is dead because of him. Words do not express my loathing for that character. Madara is next on the hate list. WAH! ILU Jiraiya you old pervert!"

Same. And the enemy? Made. No. Sense. Was it his old student? Everyone Jiraiya had ever killed? Pick one!

"- WAHHH! Tsunade X Jiraiya = doomed love. And she didn't even give him the necklace! I think they both knew how it was going to turn out but jeez they've known each other for over forty years, one of them could have gotten their heads extracted from their nether regions on time!."

God yes. And what's really sad... or maybe not.. but until right before he died, I was THRILLED that Tsunade was too smart to let him get any. And now.. I'm sad.

And I think I might write angsty smut about Tsunade getting wasted after Dan dies, and having depressed sex with Jiraiya, and he's totally in love and she's saying Dan's name when she comes, and it's all very tragic and fucked.

" I'm really hoping Sasuke is just going along with Madara so he can find out what the truth is. I'm hoping Sasuke isn't as stupid as he's being made out to be. honestly Kishimoto, give your readers some credit, even if the target audience is 8-12 year-olds, they're smarter than you think."

Oh, god yes. Because when the person who wants to make you dance is the one who you're getting all your information from... something is seriously wrong.

"I doubt Sasuke is going to completely and utterly destroy Konoha. What's the point if the manga-ka has been so painstakingly keeping him from actually killing anyone - INCLUDING ITACHI WHO WAS ALREADY FUCKING DYING OF A DISEASE AND GAVE HALF HIS POWER TO NARUTO 1000 ISSUES AGO! "

Oh, of course not. God forbid the precious Sasuke get his hands bloody. But I do think he's going to try, so that Naruto and Sakura can angst about it.

"All said, I love fanfiction, just because it can make up for certain canon "mistakes". I'm starting to think the manga-ka is on the edge of a complete burnout or has already reached it. He's been working pretty much non-stop on this manga for 10 years."

Total word. To me, fanfiction is how you fix things the mangaka screwed up. And I think Kishimoto is both burned out, and was never that good to begin with.

here's some icons I made two years ago.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Re: kakashi's face....


Let's start with this:





K
A
K
A
S
H
I

F
A
C
E

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S


KIND OF.


LOOK AT THE EASY PRETTINESS OF GRAPHIC MANIPULATION.


X


And here's my favorite Kakashi icon I've ever done:



Lyrics from Bloodsport by Sneaker Pimps, which if you've never heard, I will send your way in moments because it is one of the sexiest most twisted songs EVER.


And because I love Sakura:

x

Re: here's some icons I made two years ago.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

The moral of these icons?

1) anime face design is so simplistic that with some color-blocking and one crooked line I can create what all of fandom wants to see.

2) Kakashi looks pretty normal, if surprisingly young. (though he's 26-27 for this screenshot, which was after the Sasuke-Naruto fight)

Re: here's some icons I made two years ago.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*nods*

I've actually have artists talk about that. One of my friends talks about how there are show that she can't draw fanart for (she has a very realistic style), simply because the faces are so default that she has no way of making who the character is recognizable. (She was talking about Ouran in that case.)

Re: here's some icons I made two years ago.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I can see that. Ouran has very generic character design. It's one of the show's weaknesses.

Re: here's some icons I made two years ago.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on how you look at it.

The generic character designs have a layer of meta humor when you look at things like how much they labeled their own characters: 'the glasses type' 'the loli type' 'the silent type'.

Re: here's some icons I made two years ago.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I looked at it as all the characters having a simplified facial design and hair design that's so generic it calls attention to those identifying traits.

Re: here's some icons I made two years ago.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh, awesome!

Those are great icons, and I love the sneak peak of Kakashi's face. (And it wouldn't surprise me at all if he looks younger than he actually is.)

Re: here's some icons I made two years ago.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I figure that the anime will never show us, so this might be the best we get. It wasn't too hard to make, either, since I had a screencap that defined the shape of his chin and nose already.

Do you have an mp3 of "Bloodsport"? It's a great song.

Re: here's some icons I made two years ago.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Nope, but I do enjoy the other sneaker pimps songs I have.

Would you send it to me?

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I love Shikamaru picking up his sensei's smokes - that's a lovely touch. It's always nice when he seems to have a soul.

I thought that was horrific. I stared at the manga on the computer screen going, "WHAT. THE. FUCK. What kind of message is THAT to give kids?" It's irresponsible to the Nth degree as a writer of books read by teens and children, and it's also making Shikamaru look like an idiot. I can't see why the genius of Konoha who is only barely second to Kakashi (maybe eventually smarter) would voluntarily hook himself to a lifelong addiction that would probably inhibit his ability to be a ninja, especially since he'd be starting at FIFTEEN. Which means life-long lung damage. But, hey, it's not the mangaka's ever done anything pointlessly ridiculous before, right?


But this whole Itachi-killer-jesus thing is bollocks.

LAME-O LAME LAME. I'm glad I'm not the only one having that reaction. I like the conspiracy aspect of all of this, and the clan in-fighting and the spying, but I don't see how we're supposed to translate that mass murder into some kind of angelic sacrifice. Even if he was not so bad before he did it... after he did, there was no going back. Whatever good he had, is gone.

I mean, I think even someone like Kakashi, who I like to believe is a stone-cold killer who'd do anything for the village (like the Sannin, like most of the jounin, like possibly Sakura one day)...even someone like Kakashi would defect before killing his own entire family. He'd take them away or something. Because if they are all raised to defend the village, then killing your entire extended clan is the total opposite of what you're meant to be defending. I think most people would see the irrationality of it, the paradox of it.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I thought that was horrific. I stared at the manga on the computer screen going, "WHAT. THE. FUCK. What kind of message is THAT to give kids?" It's irresponsible to the Nth degree as a writer of books read by teens and children, and it's also making Shikamaru look like an idiot. I can't see why the genius of Konoha who is only barely second to Kakashi (maybe eventually smarter) would voluntarily hook himself to a lifelong addiction that would probably inhibit his ability to be a ninja, especially since he'd be starting at FIFTEEN. Which means life-long lung damage. But, hey, it's not the mangaka's ever done anything pointlessly ridiculous before, right?


*almost falls off the couch laughing* Oh, god, I completely missed that! You're right of course, but.. oh, god, for some reason that strikes me as hilarious. And now I want to write Temari totally kicking his ass for it.

LAME-O LAME LAME. I'm glad I'm not the only one having that reaction. I like the conspiracy aspect of all of this, and the clan in-fighting and the spying, but I don't see how we're supposed to translate that mass murder into some kind of angelic sacrifice. Even if he was not so bad before he did it... after he did, there was no going back. Whatever good he had, is gone.

Yeah. I don't hate it as much as I did on first reading, but I don't trust the mangaka to make Mandara the FUCKING BLANTANTLY biased narrator he actually is.

I mean, I think even someone like Kakashi, who I like to believe is a stone-cold killer who'd do anything for the village (like the Sannin, like most of the jounin, like possibly Sakura one day)...even someone like Kakashi would defect before killing his own entire family. He'd take them away or something. Because if they are all raised to defend the village, then killing your entire extended clan is the total opposite of what you're meant to be defending. I think most people would see the irrationality of it, the paradox of it.

WORD. I totally agree about Kakashi, and I think while you could argue, that he, post-dad's suicide, would kill his family on orders... he didn't have any than. I think by the time you get to the point that you'd do it, you already don't have any precious people left? And for a show that's so focused on family, both of the blood and the spiritual kind, there is NO WAY that the mangaka can make mass-murder of family members fit into his world as a good thing. It totally doesn't work with the whole paradigm of the show.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I think while you could argue, that he, post-dad's suicide, would kill his family on orders... he didn't have any than. I think by the time you get to the point that you'd do it, you already don't have any precious people left?

I can see that. Which makes me wonder how Itachi could stomach it when he had a few dozen relatives (I am assuming at least 30 were killed, though I don't know if we got a number.)

I think the window of Kakashi being capable of it is slim-- after Obito's death, I don't think he'd do it. We know that had an enormous effect on Kakashi. And the Kakashi of now? He'd take his precious people and defect before he'd kill dozens of friends and family on the council's orders. Kakashi already has said that rules are garbage if you don't have your teammate's back.

Not to mention anyone would know that taking several dozen people and many powerful ninjas and defecting is a lot stronger than defecting with one or two. That's something you can start over with, and it makes you almost too threatening to bother chasing. The village, after such a loss, wouldn't be willing to waste any more high-class ninja trying to bring them back or stop them from leaving. They'd have to let them go.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I think the window of Kakashi being capable of it is slim-- after Obito's death, I don't think he'd do it. We know that had an enormous effect on Kakashi. And the Kakashi of now? He'd take his precious people and defect before he'd kill dozens of friends and family on the council's orders. Kakashi already has said that rules are garbage if you don't have your teammate's back.

Oh, very narrow. It's between dad's suicide and Obito's death. At this point, Kakashi is the LAST PERSON IMAGINABLE who would do something like that. In fact, at this point, (let me use a Buffy metaphor) if he was in Buffy's shoes at the finale of season two, I am on the fence about wether he could kill his precious person to save the world.

Not to mention anyone would know that taking several dozen people and many powerful ninjas and defecting is a lot stronger than defecting with one or two. That's something you can start over with, and it makes you almost too threatening to bother chasing. The village, after such a loss, wouldn't be willing to waste any more high-class ninja trying to bring them back or stop them from leaving. They'd have to let them go.

Yes! If Orochimaru can start a village, why can't the Uchiha?

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

One person? That's tricky. I'd say it would really have to depend on what would happen if he didn't. If it were Naruto or Sakura, his students, or someone he's in love with, or someone he's close to (Gai?)... I can see him doing it and then possibly killing himself. Probably killing himself. I do think he'd kill any person if there was no other choice. But in a situation like Itachi had, there are multiple other choices. And Kakashi (like most people who aren't psychopathic) would do a cost-effect analysis and find an alternative. Not a happy alternative, not one without its own price, but he would be wise enough to see past the person giving him orders and understand the big picture and his place in it.

I guess the mangaka thinks its more romantic and tragic for Itachi to go through with this Terrible Thing... sure, but that doesn't make me feel sorry for Itachi. He's not the victim here, not by any stretch. There were alternatives, he just chose not to take them.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*nods*

Yeah, in that situation, I can see him killing his precious person - but I do agree that he'd kill himself after, or do his level best too. (I always see him as the kind of person who'd commit suicide via over work - just take harder and harder and harder missions alone until he finally wore himself down enough to slip and not make it back alive.)

I guess the mangaka thinks its more romantic and tragic for Itachi to go through with this Terrible Thing... sure, but that doesn't make me feel sorry for Itachi. He's not the victim here, not by any stretch. There were alternatives, he just chose not to take them.

Oh, I don't feel sorry for Itachi in the least. I'm like like, Itachi: so looking for that excuse.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9JCLF5F2

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you!